Automatic distributer mechanism for stokers



N. E. GEE.

AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTER MECHANISM FOR STOKERS..

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2I, I914.

1,318,067. Patented 0m. 7,1919.

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N. E. GEE.

AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTER MECHANISM FOR STOKERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.ZI, I914.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

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AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTER MECHANISM FOR STOKERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21. 1914. 1,318,067. Patented Oct. 7,1919.

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. I W l N. E. GEE. AUTOMATIC D, ISTR|BUTER MECHANISM FOR STOKERS.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN.2I, I914. 1,318,067. Patented Oct. 7,1919.

SSHEETS-SHEET 4.

N. E. GEE.

AUTOMATLC DISTRIBUTERMECHANISM FOR STOKERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2!. i914.

iatentcd 00f. 7,1919.

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AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTER MECHANISM FOR STOKERS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2I I9I4- 1,3 18,0 6?' Patented Oct. 7,1919.

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Svwemto fifWWM/Y E Gag $2M 'fi Her/1101 N ORMAN GEE, OF ALTOON A, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTER MECHANISM FOR STOKERS.

'. Patented cm. a, rare.

- Application med January 21, 1914. Serial No. 813,507.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NORMAN E. GEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Distributor Mechanism for Stokers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the general sub ject of mechanical stokers for firing-locomotive furnaces, and has special reference. to a practical automatic embodiment of the selective idea of feeding fuel to different por-- tions of the fire box as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,103,407 issued July 14,1914, in combination with a fuel transfer mechanism of the character disclosed in my pending application for Letters Patent filed Dec. 29, 1913, Ser. #809,349;

To this end, the present invention contemplates the provision of a simple and practical stokin mechanism having means for automatical y distributing the. fuel to different portions of the fire box, and also including novel means for screenlng the lumps and heavier coal from the slack or finer fuel, thereby not only providing for spreading the fuel over the fire but also com pelling the slack or fine coal to be separately deposited .onto the fire, with the .result of greatly reducing the quantity of uncon .sumed fine coal drawn through the flues and I into the stack.

As indicated, it is thepurpose of the pres ent invention to provide asimple and relia'ble means to 'make the selective and distributing feature of the stoker mechanism entirely automatic. In other words, the prime object of the prese'nt device is to provide a novel construction which will automatically operate and synchronizethe fuel distribut= mg means, and the'fsteam-jet control means, aswell as to screen the fuel at-the point of discharge into the 'fire box.

With these and other objects .in view which will be apparent to those familiar.

with this special art as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination. and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

Though susceptible of structural modifi cation and embodiment of different forms of construction, a preferred and practicalemodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fuel transfer mechanism of the stoker, showing the prime operating means.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the elevating chute of the transfer mechanism, showing the location of the mechanism. which automatically actuates the lever for controlling the intermittent steam supply.

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, of the automatic mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a plan view partly in section showing the construction illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation showing the automatic mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a. detail view showing the connection between the lever for controlling the nism asdisclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 809,349, said mechanism 1ncluding in its organization the fuel magae zine 1 located in the locomotive tender, and fuel feeding and 'conveying mechanism arranged below the tender and deck plate of the locomotive, and extending upwardly through the latter to'a point where the fuel is delivered into. a position for being discharged from the front side of the fire box This into the same and over the fire. fuel feeding and conveying mechanism includes a main conveyer trough 2 arranged beneath the fuel magazine having its rear or supply of fuel from the combined fuel feeding and crushlng device, designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 3. For

receiving end arranged to receive a constant I the purpose of operating said crushing device 3, the same is connected as at 4 with the rear ends of the operating bars 5 which extend forwardly and are operatively connected, as at 6, with 'the swinging rocker arms? which constitute the motion transmitting elements, and which are mounted'on the rocker shaft 8 that receives its motion through a suitable operating connection 9 from the piston 10 of the operating engine 11. The said operating prime operating means for the entire stoking mechanism. Fuel is received within the rear end of the main conveyer chute 2 and advanced forwardly by a main fuel advancing conveyer similar to that disclosed in my pending application aforesaid. The fuel is advanced by the main conveyer in such a manner that packing or clogging is avo1ded, and in a substantially divided condition, so that increments or charges are delivered to an inclined elevating chute 12. The said chute 12 communicates at its lower end with the main chute 2, extends upwardly through the deck plate 13 of the locomotive cab, and

is provided at its upper end with a sub-.

'stantially horizontally disposed fuel receiving chamber 14 which is arranged to project into the firing opening 15 in the front wall of the fire box, so as to be in communication with the interior thereof.

The inclined elevating section 12 of the conveyer chute is preferably provided with a plurality .of check ledges 16 which prevent retrograde movement of the fuel, and said elevating section is also adapted to accommodate therein a reciprocating elevating conveyer comprising reciprocating bars 17 carrying pivotal fuel advancing blades 18 which are preferably of the construction also shown in any said pending application. For the pu-rposeof operating the conveyer sections, the elevating conveyer has pivotally connected thereto at its lower end, an operating cross-head 19; to which is pivoted,

as at20, a yokepiece 21 which is rigidly connected tothe main conveyer as partially shown in Fig. 2 of the drawlng. The

. opposite ends of the cross-head 19 are piv- .necting rods22 whose other ends are 'pivotally connected to the rear ends of the conoted as at 23 to the rocker arms 7.

Broadly, the selective means of the stoker includes an adjustable delivery mouth for the receiving chamber 14. This adjustable delivery mo'uth preferably consists of a pair of duplicate oppositely arranged deflecting wings 24 and a stationary horizontally disposed screening threshold 25 over which the heavier particles of fuel are swept into the fire box. This threshold is supported in position in'any suitable manner, but preferably is in the form of a separate attachment having side hanger arms 26 having a supporting engagement at their upper ends engine 11- is the 'as at 26 with opposite sides of the stoking or receiving chamber 14.

The screening threshold 25 involves a novel and important feature of the machine, since it performs afunction that greatly reduces the quantity of unconsumed fine particles of fuel that usually are drawn over the fire and through the fines into the stack. That is to say, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a threshold 25 for the delivery mouth of the stoker which is in the form of a screen box detachably inserted within the delivery mouth upon a main stationary bottom plate 25 thereof. This screen box is formed with theforaminous or screen top A preferably disposed at an inclination and having formed at its front edge a downwardly curved or inclined deflecting lip B. At the under side of the screen top A of the screening threshold 25,,

there is formed a wedge shaped spreader .is' screened through the top A, and with which screenings chamber communicates a pair of steam jet openings 1 and F which may have branch plpe connections G and G respectively with the steam conducting pipes 39 and 40 for the main jet nozzles 41 and 42 to be presently referred to.

At this point, however, it will be observed that the steam jets F and F for the screen- "ings chamber are arranged in' parallel positions respectively upon opposite sides of the center line of said screenings chamber and are'paired with the steam jet nozzles 41 and 42 to operate in unison therewith accordmg to the position of the deflecting Wings 24.

The ,oppositely located side deflecting win 24 are vertically disposed and have a hinged connection at one edge, as at 27, with an edge portion of the receiving chamber 14 so as to-be capable of a horizontal swinging movement over the screen top A of the threshold. The said deflecting Wings 24 are designed to move in unison, and therefore have a corresponding-adjustment according to the'direction in which. the fuel is to be fed over the threshold. The provision for this synchronous adjustment of the deflecting wings 24 is brought about by a coupling bar 28 which ispivotally connected at its opposite ends, as at 29, with the projecting arms 30 of the wings, in rear of their pivots 27. One of said wings has piv .-Between the bifurcated portions 54 of the arm 51, there is pivotally held one end of an operating rod 62 which is ecoentrically connected at its other end with the main rock shaft 8 as at 63, and clearly shown in Fig. l

of the drawings. Thus, it will be apparent hub 46 of the pinion 45, it will be noted that the same is riveted or otherwise rigidly connected to a crank disk 64, and clamps therebetween the flat locking head 65 of theretaining bolt 66, the shank of which is inserted in the sleeve 43'and provided at its end with threads for the purpose ofreceiving a locking nut 67 whereby the said head 65 will hold the connected crank disk 64 and ratchet wheel 47 against lateral movement on the square hub 46 of the pinion 45. Therefore, it will be apparent that when the pinion 45 is pushed forward by the dog 55 carried by the oscillating carrier 48, the

ratchet wheel 47 and crank disk 64 will move forward also. To prevent backward movement of the device, there is provided a pivotally mounted check dog 68 which engages the teeth of thewheel as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings. The crank disk 64 is providedwith the wrist pin 69 which loosely receives one end of a connecting hook 70, and prevents its accidental lateral displacement by means of a suitable.

washer and nut arrangement 71. The other end of the connecting hook or coupling arm 70 is formed with an arcuate slot 72 which is adapted to fit over and detachably engage a suitable pin 73 carried by the lever 34,-

I From the foregoing description, it is believed to be fully apparent that upon the operation of the main rock shaft 8 by the engine 11, that the operating rod 62 will be given an up and down movement which will oscillate the pawl carrier48'in such amanner that upon each downward stroke of the rod 62, the main ratchet pinion 45 will be advanceda distance of one tooth. Then be-'- wings 24 and controlling automatically the steam jets which are. designed to come into play with the cha ging of the position of the wings 24.

In the emergency of the ratchet device getting out of order, the hook 70 may be jet fuel discharging disengaged and the lever '34 operated by hand to secure all of the selective functions, manually.

I claim:

1. The combination with the fire-box of a locomotive having a fuel-receiving opening, means for delivering fuel through such opening to different zones of the fire-box, a hand lever for controlling the delivery means and providing for movement thereof directly to selected positions, and power actuating means detachably connected with the lever for moving the delivery means to a regular sequenceof positions.

2. The combination with the fire-box of a locomotive having a fuel-receiving opening, means for delivering fuel through such opening to different zones of'the fire-box, manually controlled means for moving the delivery means directly to selected positions, and power means for moving the delivery means to a regular sequence of positions, such hand and power means being adapted for alternative use.

3. A stoking apparatus including a receiver communicating with the fire-box, means for supplying fuel to the receiver, means for discharging fuel from the receiver, variable guiding means for the discharged fuel, controlling means for changing the directive movement of said dis charging means incorrespondence with the position of the guiding means, hand means for actuating said controlling means and guiding means whereby they may be moved directly to selected positions, and power means for actuating said controlling means and guiding means, such hand and power means being adapted for alternative use.

4. A stoking apparatus including a fuel transfer mechanism,-prime means for operating said fuel transfer mechanism, steammeans, variable guidmg means synchronized with the steam-jet fuel discharging means, a device for simultaneously controlling the steam-jets and said guiding means, and means actuated from the prime operating means for automatically controlling said device.

5. A stoking apparatus including a fuel transfer mechanism, prime means for operating said fuel transfer mechanism, steamjet fuel discharging means for distributing fuel in selected directions, variable guiding means coiiperating with the said fuel dis-' charging means, and means operatively connected with said prime operating means for automatically controlling the steam-jet discharging means, and said guidin means.

6. A stoking apparatus inc uding fuel transfer mechanism, prime means for Open ating'said fuel transfermechanism, steamjet fuel discharging means for distributing fuel in selected directions, and means operatively and detachably connected with said otally connected thereto as at 31, one end of a link 32 which is pivotally connected at its other end as at 33 to a controlling lever 34.

The simultaneously adjustable side defleeting means 24 and the single controlling lever 34 form a part of the selective means which are combined with the steam controlling device designated in its entiretyby the reference numeral 35. The said controlling lever 34 is connected with the steam controlling device 35 as at 36, and fulcrumed to swing about a pivot 37 suspended from a bracket38 from one side of the elevating conveyer chute.

The steam controlling device 35 may be any suitable form of distributing valve, such as, for example, the valve shown in my Patent No. 1,103,407, of July 14, 1914, steam being delivered to the valve casing from a source of supply by a pipe 35 and transmitted therefrom through the pipes 39, 40, in alternation, and discharged from these pipes through the nozzles 41, 42. The connection between the lever 34 and the valve 35 is so arranged that steam issues from the nozzle 41 or 42, which discharges in the direction to which the axis of the throat is inclined by the shifting of the wings. Thus the automatic shifting of the said lever 34 controls the synchronous movement of the wings 24 and the discharge of the steam jets 41 and 42, so that the fuel fed into the re ceiving chamber 14 is automatically distributed to first one portion of the fire and then another. At the same time, the steam is alternately admitted to the steam jet openings or nozzles 1 and F with the result of discharging a jet of steam into the screenings chamber E first at one side of the spreader C and then at the other side thereof, thus separately forcing the fine fuel ofl of the threshold or screening threshold 25 into the fire box and downwardly onto the fire. This is an important feature of the invention because of the fact of efl'ecting a screening of the coal at and within the delivery mouth of the stoker, and then separately discharging the screenings and the coarser coal into the fire box. As the device is shown and described, steam is discharged simultaneously into the same side of the throat from the nozzles 41, 42, and F, F". l'nasmuchas the nozzles 41, 42, discharge obliquely across the axis of the throat while the nozzles F, l are directly parallel with its axis, and each discharges against a face of the deflector C which is inclined toward the same side of the fire-box, it follows that the charges of coarser and finer fuel are always delivered to difl'erent zones. It also results that the finer fuel is deposited upon a bed of fuel already in process of combustion and is therefore quickly ignited, and its escape unburned through the flues under forced draft is thus prevented. Also, it may be noted at this point that each of the wings 24 is preferably formed at its topv edge with a top flange H of considerable width, thus maintaining a Well defined mouth through which the fuel is discharged, said flanges having terminal deflecting lips h inclined downwardly The pitch of the lips will depend upon the length of the fire which is threaded at one end and provided with an annular spacing flange 44 arranged to abut against the outer side of the chute 12 when the sleeve is screwed into the side wall thereof as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Rotatably mounted on the said sleeve 43 is a main ratchet pinion 45, one end of which abuts against the spacing flange 44 of the said supporting sleeve, and the other end of which is provided with a collar 46 that preferably extends out to the end of the sleeve to form a bearing for the ratchet wheel 47. With further reference .to the main ratchet pinion 45, it will be observed that the same is incased and surrounded by the oscillating pawl carrier 48 and arranged within the opening 49 provided in the central portion thereof. The said oscillating pawl carrier 48 is capable of free oscillating movement about the pinion 45, and is formed with oppositely disposed arms 50 and 51.

The said arm 50 is provided with a central ing 49 at one end and is provided with inte rior threads at its oumr end as indicated at 53, while the other arm 51 is provided with the bifurcated pivot portion 54.

Within the bore 52 of the arm 50 is slidably mounted a spring pressed advancing dog or pawl 55 which is provided at its inner end with a beveled tooth 56 that is adapted to engage with the teeth of the main ratchet pinion 45. in order to insure the tooth 56 properly engaging With the teethnof the pinion, the said dog 55 is provided in its side wall. with a guide channel 57 designed to receive one end of a guide screw 58 which is inserted through the wall of the arm 50.

To facilitate the assembling of the dog within the arm, the open end of the bore 52 8. A stoking apparatus including fueltransfer mechanism, prime operating means, a selective discharge mechanism including fuel deflecting means, intermittently acting steam-jets cofiperating therewith, a control ling lever, and an automatic ratchet attachment operatively connected with said lever and actuated from said prime operating means.

9. A stoking apparatus including fuel transfer mechanism, prime operating means, a selective discharge mechanism including a swinging wing and intermittently acting V steam-jets, and an automatic operating attachment operatively connected with said wing and actuated from the prime operating means.

10. A stoking apparatus including a receiver adapted to communicate with the fire box, means for supplying fuel charges to the receiver, a plurality of steam jetting nozzles adapted to discharge into said receiver and disposed in converging planes, and means alternately hand and power actuated for controlling said nozzles, such power means being arranged to open and close the nozzles in regular sequence and such hand means being adapted to control th nozzles at the will ofthe operator.

11. A stoking apparatus comprising a fuel transfer mechanism, prime means for operating said fuel transfer mechanism, a selective discharge mechanism for intermittently discharging the fuel in selected directions, a device for controlling said selective discharge mechanism, and an automatic operating attachment operatively connected with said prime operating means and also with the device for controlling the discharge mechanlsm.

12. A stoking mechanism including fuel transfer mechanism, a delivery mouth for the fire box of the furnace, and distributing mechanism including perforated screening means for receiving all of the fuel fed from aid transfer mechanism, and 'a receiving surface beneath said screening means. and means for separately discharging into the fire box the coarser fuel from the perforated screening means and the finer fuel from the receiving surface beneath the said screening means.

13. A stoking mechanism including fuel transfermechanism, a delivery mouth including a perforated screen late arranged to provide a screenings chamber for fine fuel, a deflector movable over'said perforated screen plate, and means for separately discharging the coarser fuel from over the perforated screen plate and the finer fuel from the screenings chamber.

143A stoking mechanism including a fuel transfer mechanism, a delivery mouth including a perforated screen plate having a downwardly projecting fuel deflecting lip and arranged to provide a screenings chamber, adeflector movable over said perforated screen plate, and means for separately discharging the coarser fuel from the top of the perforated screen plate and ,the finer fuel from the screenings chamber.

15. A stoking mechanism including fuel transfer mechanism, a delivery mouth includingia perforated screen plate arranged to provide a screeningchamber for fine fuel, wings movable over said screen perforated plate, and means for separately discharging the coarser fuel from over the perforated screen plate, and the finer fuel from the screening chamber.

16. A stoking mechanism including fuel transfer mechanism, a delivery mouth including a screen arranged to provide a screenings chamber for fine fuel, wings movable over said screen and provided with downwardly curved deflecting flanges, and means for separately discharging the coarser fuel from over the screen, and the finer fuel from the screenings chamber.

17. A stoking mechanism including a fuel transfer mechanism, a delivery mouth including a screen having a downwardly projectin fuel deflecting lip and arranged to provi e a screening chamber, deflecting wings movable over said screen and having downwardly curved deflecting flanges, and means for separately discharging the coarser fuel from thetop of the screen and the finer fuel from'the screenings chamber.

18. A stoking mechanism including fuel transfer mechanism, a delivery mouth having a removable screen arranged to provide a screenings chamber, and a centrally arranged fuel spreading wedge within said chamber, wings, movable over said screen, and means for separately discharging the coarser fuel from the top of the screen and the finer fuel from the screenings chamber.

19. A stoking'apparatus comprising a fuel transfer mechanism including a conveyer chute, a prime actuating engine, a lever operated fuel discharging device for intermittently expelling fuel in selecteddirections, a ratchet device arranged upon the conveyer chute and operatively connected with said prime actuating engine, and coupling means carried by said ratchet device for detachable connection with the said lever actuated discharge device, and adapted to automatically actuate the latter upon movement of the ratchet device.

20. A stoking apparatus comprising a fuel transfer mechanism including a conyever chute, a prime actuating engine, a lever operated fuel discharging device arranged at the mouth of the conveyer chute, an automatic actuating device including a support fitted to one side of said chute, a main ratchet pinion rotatable on said support, an! oscillatory pawl carrier concentric with and freely movable about said pinion and operatively connected with the prime actuating engine, a ratchet wheel and crank disk clamped to said pinion, a coupling link pivotally connected to the crank disk and detachably connected with said lever actuated discharge device, and means for preventing backward movement of the ratchet wheel.

21. In a stoking apparatus, in combination, a fire box having a fuel receiving opening, a screen plate within said opening, an imperforate plate below the screen plate and receiving therefrom, and steam nipples discharging over the surfaces of both named plates.

22. In a stoking apparatus, in combination, a fire box having a fuel receiving opening, a plate located in said opening for receiving fuel, and a nipple for directing the steam jet over the surface of 'such plate.

23. In a stoking apparatus, the combination With a. firebox having a feed opening and with means for delivering fuel to such opening, of means for screening the fuel, and means for discharging the coarser and finer fuel alternately to different zones of the fire box.

24. In a stoking apparatus, the combinat1on with a fire box having a fuel opening and with means for delivering fuel to such opening, of means for screening the fuel, and means for discharging the coarser and finer fuel to both sides of the fire box alternately.

25. A stoking apparatus including a fuel transfer mechanism for advancing fuel from the magazine to apoint for discharge into the locomotive fire box, means for assorting fuel as to size, means for discharging the fuel to selected portions of the fire box, oscillatable deflecting wings for directing the coarser fuel alternately to difierent sides of the fire box, a wedge-shaped deflector for directing the finer fuel toward the sides of the fire box, intermittently acting steam jets for forcing both of said grades of fuel into the fire box and arranged to simultaneously deliver to opposite sides of the median line of the box.

26. In a stoking mechanism, in combination, a fire box, means for discharging into the fire box separate increments of relatively coarse and fine fuel, and means for varying the direction of discharge of such increment-s whereby different zones of the fire box are supplied with fuel of different grades alternately.

27. In combination with a fire-box having a fuel-receiving opening, of means for successively delivering fuel through such opening to difi'erent zones of the fire-box, a hand lever for actuating such delivery means at the will of the operator, and detachable power means for moving such delivery means to a regular sequence of positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NORMAN E. GEE.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. HANLON, C. J. ZARLEY. 

